Steering mechanism for dirigible bodies



K. DOUGAN.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR DIRIGIBLE BODIES.

APPLICATION HLED AuG.2, 1915. nENEwED Nov. 22. 191s.

1,384,745' u y Patented July 19, 1921.

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Mm www@ K. DOUGAN.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR DIRIGIBLE BODIES. APPLICATION FILED AuG.2, 1915. nENzwED Nov. 22, 1919.

1,384,745, Patented July 19,1921.

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STEERING MECHANISM FOR DIRIGIBLE BODIES.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, KENNEDY a citizen. of the United States, residingat Minneapolis, `in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented ycertain new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism for Dirigible Bodies; and I do hereby declare the followingV to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates, to steering. Vmechanism for torpedoes or other d1r1g1ble bodies, and the present application is filed as a division Vof my co-pending application, Serial No. 556,855, filed April 21, 1910, and entitled Wireless controlled steering mechanism, on which application Patent No. 1,151,867, August 31, 1915, was granted. The subject matter on which the present application is based is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the above patent, vand is described in the specification of the same.

The object of the present invention is to erator to cause the positiveshifting of the rudder in opposite directions to various eX- tents.

Referring to the drawings: n

Fig. lis a plan view vof the mechanism embodying the present invention, some parts being indicated by dotted lines and some in diagram Fig. 2l is a sidek elevation of the vparts shown in Fig. 1, some parts'being sectioned on the line m2 m2 of Fig. 1.

The numeralv 1 indicatesv a framework which constitutes part of, or is carried by the torpedo or other dirigible object. The numeral 10 designates the sector gear securedl to an upright spindle 11 suitably journaled in the frame '1. The numeral 14 designates a clutch lever or member secured vto the upper end of the rock shaft or spindle 11 and having a segmental slot 14. The numeral 12'indicates a crank arm which is connected bya rod 18 to the arm 16 of the lrudd'erl, the shaft 17 of which latter is suitably pivoted. to the rear portion of the torpedo or dirigible object.

Themechanism comprises two rotary shafts 2 and 4, driven by worm or other gears 5 through shaft 6 that is continuously driven from a small motor 7. This Specification of Letters Patent.

DOUGAN,

Patented July 19, 19271. and this application iled August Serial No. 339,933.

motor 7 may be connected to the shaft 6 in any suitable way, as through'speed reducing gears 7a. The shaftsv 2 ratchet wheels 8 and 8 rotatable thereon, and also rotatable on said shafts are pinions 9 thatmesh with the sector gear 10, previously noted as connected to an upright rock shaft 11. The ratchet wheels 8 andSa'are connected to the respective coperating gears 9, through gearing A which is` of the arrangement disclosed yand claimed in my prior Patent 1,071,895, of date, September 2nd, 1913, entitled Governing mechanism, and which mechanism is so arranged that stopping of either ratchet wheel will start the gear on kthe main shaft turningA in a direction to turn the gear 10 and clutch member14. A

A pawl arm 48 is fixed on a pivot spindle 49 shown as journaled on theupperfend of the rockshaft 11 and in a bearing on the frame 1. This pawl arm has an extension 48. A lever 50 has a hub. 51 mounted to turn freely on the spindle 49, and lin respect to the pawl Yarm 48. The arm 48 and lever 50 are held normally in alinement, by a tension spring 52 shownas formed as a Hat zigzagl connecting the end of the eXtension 48 to a stud'53 on lever 50. The said leveris which receives an eccentric pin 55 carried by a small rotary disk 56 secured to a toothed pinion 57 that is Xed on a shaft 58 journaled in the frame 1. Said pinion is driven by a gear 59 anda ratchet wheel 60, fixed on a shaft 61 journaledfin frame-1. The object is to turn and stop the eccentric pin 55 at four points ninety degrees apart, by stopping ratchet 60. he proportions shown are such that each tooth of the ratchet corresponds to one-fourth revolution of the eccentric 55. But it is obvious that the ratchet teeth may be shorter so that several steps might be employed to turn the eccentric ninety degrees. In the positions 55, and 55h, Fig. 1, the eccentric holds the lever`50 and pawl arm 48 at neutral position, and in quartering positions 55c and 55d, it holds the lever 50 at an angle to one side or the other of its neutral position. l The arm 48 is a pawl arm and carries a double-acting stop pawl 26 pivotedthereto at P, and poised betweenthe ratchetrwheels 8 and 8. This pawl 26 has a rectangular lug 26 that Works in the segmental slot 14 and 4 have pavvl 65.

taching aspring g .ofthe swinging clutch member 14 on the Vp'avvl 26 andits jarm 48 Wlienretracting the.

` vvith ratchet von of the clutch lever 14, and it is yieldingly held in a normal intermediate position in respect to the said lever 48, by a coiled spring 26". Y Y

As shown, the ratchet 60 is driven by a solenoid 62, core 63, arm 64 and driving The circuit of the solenoid may be opened and closed by any suitable controlling mechanism, not shovvn.V The arm 64 turns freely on shaft 61, and it rigidly supports the core 63, thus eliminating all unnecessary friction on the arm and core. The arm 64 Vis returned to normal position by a spring 66. Aretaining paivl or detent 67 prevents backward rotation of the ratchet 60. Forward movement under momentum isV prevented by a friction spring V68 or equivalent. 1 Y Y .The y,purpose of Vmaking the pawl 'lever 50 separateffrom-the paWl-arm .48 and at- A52, is to permitthe action pavvl. During sucl ymovement the spring 52 yields, permitting lthe pavvl arm 48 to turn on pivot 491Whilethe lever remains" stanotary. Y

The arms 48 and 50 together constitute a lever which is,-in 4eli'ect, flexible. In fact, the tvvoarms may bei made integralprovided that one of them be made ofresilient material yielding in the `plane of movement ,i

thereof.

Y v By means ofthe eccentric 55'tlie operator canhold Vthe pavvl 26 at neutral position as longas -may be required, the rudder angle being determined by andthe rudder remaining in any position to vwhich it isi-turned through frictional means such as the frictionof the packing through lwhich the shaft extends.

I vSuccessive actions of the solenoid 62 Will throw the paivl `to `right,.to center, toleft, to center, and so on. The first movementrequired of the rudder A may require ,the pawl to be thrown Vto Vthe left. In lthat ,case the operator sends three Wave impulses. The first impulse-turns the pawl -to rightythe second to center, and the third to left. Y The engagementof 'the paWl right Was vso brief that the mechanism (which takes an appreciable time to start), Was not started, hence, the rudder Was notitiirned even slightlyin the Wrong direction. Supposing that further movement of the rudder' in the direction. last moved Vis required, the operator leaves the key open. Repeatedfactions of the diiferential Vgear ensue, the paWl armV 48 being each time. thrown back toward `the saine ratchet Wheel by spring 52. V

v `In practice,the dirigible may abe provided vvith a suitable indicator forv showing its position in its course oftravel. v As soon as such indicator shows that the desired course iis being-taken, the operator closes the solethe Vcombination With a rudder,

gears, means actuated by 4for turning the rudder,

starteither of the gears, a paWl arm on` the angle-of crank 12 ,electro-magnet positions, and

Y one stroke-of the pavvl 65 is suliicient to v turn the eccentric ninety degrees.

What I claim is. Y y

1. yIn a torpedo or other dirigible object, of a driving mechanism comprising tivo normally idle gears, means actuated by either of said gears for turning the rudder, a pavvl arranged to start either of the gears, a paWl `arm on which the pawl is mounted, a lever connected to the paivl arm, means for mainy tainingthe pavvl in a neutral position, an

electro-magnet, means operative under the iniuence of the magnet to shift the paWl from neutral to operative `positions or reversely.

2. In ak torpedo or other dirigible object;v

the combination with a rudder, of a driving mechanismcomprising tvvo normally idle either of said gears a pavvl arranged to which the pawl is'mounted, a lever connected to the paWl arm, means formaintaining the Vpavvl in a neutral position, an electro-magnet, means operative under the influence of i the magnet to shift the' pavvl from neutral `to operative `positions or reversely, said means including a'rotatable element operatively connected Ato the lever.

In a torpedo 4.or other dirigible object, the combination with a rudder, of a driving mechanism adapted to turn the rudder, a starting element radapted to start saidmechanism, a Vrevoluble lcam actuating and controlling said starting element, and means for rotating said cam, said cam having alter lnate neutral and operative phases to shift said starting element from neutral to operative position, and reversely.

4. In a torpedo or other dirigibleobject,

the combination with a rudder, of a driving mechanism adapted to turn ythe rudder, a

ystarting element adapted to start said .mechanism,` a revolube cam actuating and controlling said starting element, and an neutral and operative phases 1to shift said starting element lfrom neutral to operative reverstely.

' 5. 'In a torpedo or otherdirigible object, the combinationvvitha rudder, ofmeans for shifting-'the same to variousroperative positions, means for controlling the shifting means including a pair of oppositely disposed ratchets, Which means is rendered operative upon the arresting ofthe movement of either of the ratchets,'a pavvl disposed between the ratchets and adapted to selectively engage the same to arrest'their movement, a. lever yieldingly connected to the for actuating saidl cam, the: said cam or eccentric Vpin havingfalternate iso pawl, means tending to aline the pawl with the lever, a magnet controlled cam for shifting the position of the lever, and means controlled by the movement of the rudder shifting means to release the pawl from the ratchets to permit the alining means to operate.

' 6. In a torpedo or other dirigble object, the combination with a rudder, of means for shifting the same to various operative positions, said means including a gear segment, two sets of oppositely disposed differential gears for moving the segment in opposite directions, normally rotating ratchets associated with said gearing and adapted to selectively render the latter operative upon the arrest of their movement, a pivoted arm carrying a pawl which is adapted to selectively engage said ratchets, an actuating lever for said arm mounted on the pivot of the latter, resilient means normally tending to aline said arm and lever, a cam for shiftin said lever to such positions that when t pawl will be engaged with either of the ratchets or disposed inintermediate position between the same, anda magnet for controlling the operation of the cam.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KENNEDY noUGAN. Witnesses R. M. THOMPSON,

B.Gr WHEELER e arm is alined with the lever the 

